Union minister wants Kurnool as capital of Seemandhra

New Delhi: A Union minister from Rayalaseema region has demanded that Kurnool be made the capital of Seemandhra.

Union Minister of State for Railways Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy on Tuesday met the GoM looking into the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and pushed for Kurnool, a week after Union Minister for Tribal Welfare V Kishore Chandra Deo urged the GoM to make Visakapatanam the new capital of the truncated state. "Kurnool should be the capital of Seemandhra as the former functioned as the capital of Andhra Pradesh for three years, after it (Andhra Pradesh) was carved out from erstwhile Madras Presidency," Reddy, representing Kurnool Lok Sabha constituency, told a news agency. Further he requested the GoM to merge two districts in Rayalaseema -Ananthapur and Kurnool- with Telangana, as per the aspirations of the locals. "Of the 2000 villages falling within the two districts, people in about 1700 villages wanted to get associated with Telangana since they feel that being part of Telangana would benefit them," Reddy said. He said, Telangana, a power deficit state, would benefit from windmills situated in the two districts. "Similarly, the two water starved districts in Rayalaseema can get water from Telangana. Both the regions would be benefited vice-versa, if Ananthapur and Kurnool were part of Telangana," the minister emphasised. However, Reddy clarified that there was no difference of opinion between the central ministers from Seemandhra, in the wake of hectic lobbying for the new capital. "We (Seemandhra Ministers) wanted the State to be united. But, in the event of it is being divided, I wanted Kurnool to be made the capital of Seemandhra, as I have every right to put forth my demand," he added.